Wilhelm tbufel



W. TEUPEL.

ABDOMINAL BANDAGB. I

Patented July 18, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILHELM TEUFEL, 0F STUTTGART, GER-MANY,

ABDOMINAL BANDAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,494, dated July 18, 1882.

Application filed June 3, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILHELM TEUFEL, a citizen of Germany, residing at Stnttgart, Germany, have invented new and useful Improve ments in Belts or Bandages, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

In the frequently-occurring complaints of women arising from a large size and a hanging down of the abdomen, a pressure upon the womb, and the like, which happen more especially in the state of pregnancy, the application of a suitable belt or bandage for supporting the abdomen is desirable. Belts or bandages of various kinds have long been made for such purpose; but they have in some respects been found to imperfectly answer the object for which they are provided-as, for example, in consequence of the hanging down of the abdomen and the disproportion of the two sides of the body, whichis frequently the case during pregnancy, the wearing of the belts "or bandages hitherto in use has, owing to the unequal pressure on the-two sides, caused frequent dislocations of the organs of the abdomen or of the womb during pregnancy.

It is the object of this invention to avoid this and other defects, and to produce a belt or support which can be readily applied and adjusted, and which, when applied, shall exert an even or a differential pressure on the parts, as may be desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of the rear side of the belt. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the central portion thereof. Fig. 3 shows the front side of the belt, and Fig. 4 is a detail showing one of the springs.

I provide the lower border of the belt A with two elastic lock-girths, a, which may at pleasure be buttoned looser or tighter, so that, in the case of the abdomen being disproportionate, the wished-for pressure may be effected on each side. In the middle of the lower border, and on the inner side of the belt, a suitable pad, I), is arranged, which, by means of the lock-girths and a spring, 0, effects an equal as well as a beneficial and well-supporting pressure upon the peritoneum and the organs lying in the-small pelvis, and this pressure contributes very much to the removal of the above-mentioned various complaints. By lengthening or moving the spring 0 to the one side or to the other, by bendingit more to the right or to the left, in the manner hereinafter described, the pressure may be considerably increased on the one or the other side of the abdomen. For instance, the womb of a pregnant woman, which is bent to one side, may be pressed to the middle of the body, by which the sufferings of women in the state of pregnancy are lessened, and the'danger of confine ment much reduced.

A constant complaint of patients is the painful friction of the belts usually employed at the back about the loins. This inconvenience is removed by the covered steel springs d, attached to the rear ends of the belt. Each spring carries two small soft pads or cushions. 0, one at each end of the spring. By means of these pads the rear ends of the belt are prevented from folding or wrinkling, and the hard pressure occasioned by this, which would be occasioned by such folding, avoided. The small pads 6 also allow the air to circulate under the border of the belt, and thus cool the parts, and at the same time they prevent the sliding up and down of the rear ends of the belt. By dividing the pressure upon four points the necessary pressure is, according to my experience, borne much better, and I have found that the steel springs d, together with the pad 0, give the backbone a strong and agreeable support, and by their gentle friction they tend to remove the pain in the back of the wearer.

I also employ my belt for umbilical ruptures.

To such end I fasten to it a pad, 1), suitable for umbilical ruptures, and also secure to the belt a spring, 0, which, by its proportionate elastic pressure, makes the coming out-of the rupture and the sliding up and down of the pad impossible. This pad I) is fastened only to one side of the belt or bandage, in order that the lacing B of the latter may not be prevented. The belt is open at its front and provided with said lacing B, so that it can be ad button k on the spring, and the two ends of the elastic lock-girths a are hooked either in the little button at or m, which are fastened to the ends of the belt. It will be seen that the girths 0r straps a, f, and f have each a series of holes, 02, for engaging the buttons, as above described.

The bow-spring G is straightened or partly straightened by engaging the straps at the ends of the belt with the buttons on the spring; and it will be obvious that, as the spring is secured at the middle, one half of the spring can be bent straighter than the other, if required. In case the pad b is to be used, the straps or girthsff will be engaged with buttons upon the spring 0. (Shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.)

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, with the belt, of the pad b, secured on one side of the belt at the middle of the latter, the bow-spring G, secured on the opposite side ofthe belt, and the girths or straps ff at the ends of the belt, adapted to be engaged with the ends of the springs, substantially as described.

or straps at its ends, and the spring having at its ends studs or buttons for engaging the ends of the girths or straps g, substantially as described.

3. The belt A, provided at its ends with girths or straps ff, and with the springs d, each having a small soft pad at each one of its ends, substantially as described.

4:. The belt A, provided with a lacing, B, end girths or straps, springs d, with pads at their ends, and buttons for engaging the girths, a pad, b, spring 0, and girths or straps a, said members being constructed and organized substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m y hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILHELH TEUFEL. Witnesses:

EDUARD RETTIOK, OSCAR J. Ross. 

